


When I Come Back, I'll Be Ready

by axonsandsynapses



Category: Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic), DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Ladies Being Awesome, F/F, Gen, I swear there is Steph/Cass eventually, Pre-New 52, Some Babs/Dinah if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-18 11:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2346218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axonsandsynapses/pseuds/axonsandsynapses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon her return from Africa, Steph ends up in Star City instead of Gotham. Feelings ensue.</p><p>Or: the one where Ollie can't resist taking in stray blonde kids, Mia and Steph are besties, and Dinah goes mama bear on Bruce's sorry ass.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, one day I went "I wonder what would happen if Steph ended up in Star City and met the ArrowFamily?" and the next thing I knew I had over 10k of fic and no idea how my life had gotten so out of control.
> 
> This fic is still a work in progress, but as of writing this I have 16 chapters written, so I'll update as I edit stuff and hopefully eventually find a satisfactory end to this monster.
> 
> Trigger warnings for frank discussion of Mia and Steph's pasts, which include, among other things, torture, incest, rape, sexual abuse, child abuse, underage prostitution, HIV, homelessness, and teen pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing explicit, but both girls have had extremely shitty pasts at the hands of DC editorial, and I deal with some of the implications of that.
> 
> Additional trigger warnings for PTSD and description of panic attacks. I don't have PTSD myself, but I *do* have a fair amount of personal experience with various other anxiety disorders, and I have tried to write it as respectfully as possible. If there's anything I screwed up, please don't hesitate to tell me so I can correct it.
> 
> \----------------------------
> 
> Continuity notes:
> 
> Reboot? What reboot?
> 
> I'm bending the continuity leading up to this fic a bit, since if I'd strictly gone by concurrent events in the DCU, the Birds would still be in Platinum Flats, The ArrowFam would be running off trying to deal with whatever Horrific Crisis and… yeah. Pretend with me that around the time of Steph's return, Babs has returned to Gotham (before the mess of Battle for the Cowl), Ollie, Dinah, Connor and Mia are still all living together (as in Green Arrow v3), and no one is fake-dead, comatose, really dead, missing, missing limbs, incarcerated, etc. For what it's worth, in the general batfamily timeline, this fic begins a few months before Steph made her reappearance in Robin.

As soon as Stephanie walked into the Gotham bus station, she felt her chest tighten. 

Everything about the station felt familiar; it was amazing how little had changed in her absence. In fact, things were _too_ familiar; she felt like the walls were pressing in, like the air of Gotham was suffocating her.

_Oh. Shit._

She walked to a quiet corner of the terminal and slid down against the wall, head between her knees.

_Okay, Steph. You're okay. You've got this._

She made herself picture broad swaths of savannah, grass undulating in the breeze. Someplace tranquil and open and far, far away from Gotham. She felt her heart rate gradually slow, her breaths come easier.  

Steph swallowed. She'd thought she'd been ready to run right back to the city she'd called home for so long. But as per usual, it seemed like she'd overestimated her limits.

Steph laughed softly to herself. _Well, that's me all over, isn't it. Diving in without thinking everything through._

She took another deep, cleansing breath.

_Right, so. Not Gotham. Not yet. Lets start somewhere with fewer ghosts._

Steph headed towards the ticket counter, to see how far forty bucks could get her.

 _I'm not running away,_ she silently told the city, _I'm preparing myself. Because trust me, I'll be back. And when I come back, I'll be ready._


	2. Chapter 2

Steph looked appraisingly at the main branch of the Star City Youth Center. It seemed nice enough; the building felt friendly, and a swarm of laughing children played kickball outside on the black top. And besides, it was at least an order of magnitude less sketchy than all her other job prospects.  

She took a deep breath. _Right, Steph. Here we go._

She squared her shoulders and marched into the front lobby. But when she stepped inside, her eyes widened, and she turned towards the bathrooms before the man at the desk could look up and see her face.

_Just my luck. Green-Fucking-Arrow works at the goddamn youth center._

She locked herself in a stall, and willed her anxiety to dissipate. _He probably won't recognize you_ , she reminded herself. _He's seen your face maybe twice. In bad lighting. While distracted. And besides, your only other option is waiting tables at a sleazy club._

Steph steeled herself, plastered on her most charming grin, and walked back into the lobby.

"Hi! I heard that you're hiring?"

Her stomach clenched when Green-Arrow-Guy-I Swear-Batman-Told-Me-His-Name-Once-Shit looked up from his paperwork.

_pleasedon'trecognizemepleasedon'trecognizeme_

He smiled at her. "Hi! Yeah, we're looking for additional staff. What's your name?"

Steph relaxed a bit. It didn't seem like he recognized her.

"Charlotte Dixon."

Steph silently thanked Leslie for the fake ID she'd gotten to smuggle her to Africa. 

The man shook her hand. "Oliver Queen. But you can call me Ollie." 

 _Right,_ that's _what his name is._

"We don't really have a formal application or interview," ~~Green Arrow Guy~~ Ollie continued, "But I'd like to take you outside and see how you work with the kids, if that's alright."

A couple of remarkably brutal games of kickball later, Steph had a job.

~~~

Ollie leaped to another rooftop, looking for anything out of place. It'd been a relatively quiet night, and while he should have been grateful, it just made him antsy. He was almost relieved when he spotted a man advancing towards a girl in a purple hoodie a couple blocks over. 

He got in range of the target just in time to see the girl knee the dude in the crotch. The man howled, and Ollie couldn't help wincing reflexively. The guy dropped the knife he'd been holding, and the girl efficiently knocked him out with a punch to the jaw. Ollie whistled softly. That was one hell of a right hook. Dinah would have been proud. 

He slipped down into the alleyway. "Damn, kid, you did all the work for me."

The girl whirled around. Her eyes widened, and she muttered something under her breath.

" _Charlotte_?" He hadn't pegged the sweet new girl as someone who'd be out on the streets this late, let alone beating up muggers. Then again, her hands had been heavily calloused, and her reflexes _were_ pretty impressive when faced with a bunch of hyperactive middle-schoolers with a kickball…

His eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, the kid looked suspiciously familiar, and not just because he'd hired her earlier that day. He tried to place her face. Smallish blonde girl with a big grin, purple hoodie… 

Things clicked together, and Ollie finally remembered where he'd seen her before.

"Wait, aren't you one of the Bat-brats?"

The girl stared at him, clearly starting to panic.

"Crap," she said eloquently.

~~~

_crapcrapcrapitycrap_

Steph had known it was only a matter of time until she had a run-in with one of the city's archers. Hell, part of the reason she'd ultimately decided to go to Star City was because she figured that of all the capes, they'd probably be the least likely to rat on her to Batman. She hoped. Apparently she was about to test that theory. And she'd hoped that this particular meeting wouldn't happen, y'know, on her _first goddamn night_. And maybe that she wouldn't be immediately recognized... 

Well. If there was one thing she could count on, it was her plans exploding in her face. Steph sighed. _Here we go._

"Uh, yeah, I might have used to work with B. Kinda. Well, it was less 'working with' and more 'being yelled at,' but y'know how he is. I think. I mean, the last time I saw you, you punched him in the face, so I figure you're pretty familiar with Mr. Grim and Condescending. I never got to congratulate you on that, by the way, he needs a good punch to the face every now and then…"

Steph trailed off, realizing that she was nervously rambling. Damn it, she needed to break that habit.

Green Arrow gazed steadily at her, one eyebrow raised. She squirmed.

"Look, at least can we go talk about this somewhere more private? I think that asshole might regain consciousness soon." 

It was Ollie's turn to sigh. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Given you used to be one of B's, I take it you already know my name?"

Steph smirked at that. "Dude, even if I hadn't known, it's not like your costume really _disguises_ you. I recognized you as soon as I walked into the Youth Center. Plus, you already admitted you've met my fake identity..."

Ollie winced. He really had to do something about the secret identity thing. One of these days. When he didn't have Batman's spawn crawling around his city.

"Right. How do you feel about chili?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get bonus Arbitrary Nerd Points if you recognized the reference in Steph's fake name.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out that being undead can get kinda complicated. Who would have guessed.

Steph gazed around Ollie's kitchen, nursing a mug of tea. She'd turned him down on the chili, but had taken him up on something warm to drink. The blend was comforting; it reminded her of the tea that Alfred had stocked in Cass's cupboards. Steph took a gulp to force away the lump in her throat. Of everyone, she missed Cass the most. She could really use her matter-of-fact calm right about now.

Ollie settled in a chair across from her, a bottle of beer in hand. Steph hadn't pegged him as a tea person, and she'd been right- apparently the tea belonged to his son, Connor. She privately hoped that Connor would return from patrol soon. The one time they'd met, he seemed pretty nice- he'd defended her right to work on a mission, despite Robin's objections at the time. She liked him; he didn't seem like the kind of person who would yell at her. Ollie, she wasn't so sure of.

Ollie cleared his throat. "So, you can start by telling me what your actual name is."

"Stephanie Brown. I was the Spoiler for awhile." _And not-really-Robin for about five minutes_ , she added silently. She didn't need to remind anyone of _that_ debacle. 

Ollie frowned. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Despite herself, Steph snorted. "You're not exactly one to talk."

Ollie grinned at that, and Steph felt something loosen a little in her chest. "Fair enough. Care to explain to me how you got to be not-dead, though? Please don't tell me we're gonna have to deal with fire-breathing demons that only speak in verse…"

Stephanie looked at him askance, not entirely sure if he was joking or not. It was something she'd have to ask about later. "Uh, how much do you know about how I was… um… taken out of service?"

Ollie gazed at her a moment, contemplating how much to say about the obviously touchy subject. "I was told that you'd been a casualty of that big gang war," he eventually answered, truthfully. He'd also heard from a very distraught Dinah that Steph had been brutally tortured to death by the Black Mask, but, well. This was not the time to open that can of worms.

"Right. Well. That's basically true. I screwed up really badly, got on the wrong side of… some _bad_ people, and, well, it was just… bad all around." Steph paused to collect herself. "Le- the doctor I saw decided that I'd suffered way too much, and that I needed to get out of Gotham. To have time to heal, and to keep anyone from coming after me. Personally, I think she also wanted to punish B- she was so angry that he'd let another kid get caught up in his 'crusade'." Steph grimaced. "Not that Batman hadn't already tried to get rid of me a hundred times before that…"

Steph took another sip of tea, refusing to look at Ollie's face. 

"She faked my death- well, I mean, apparently my heart actually did stop at one point, but she resuscitated me before there was too much damage, I was only clinically dead for like 90 seconds, I think… But anyway. She faked my death to B, and snuck me out of the country on a fake visa. She went with a charity group to bring medicine to rural African villages, and brought me along for the ride." Steph sighed. "Not that I realized what was going on until I was already in Ghana. I was on some heavy drugs for awhile, and not really lucid. When I was aware enough to figure out what had happened, I was kinda pissed off, but… well. I guess I realized she was right about needing some space to heal."

Ollie raised his eyebrows. "So you've been in Africa this whole time?"

Steph nodded. "But the whole time I was there, I felt like I'd run away. I came back a couple days ago. I'm not really ready to face Gotham yet, though, so I took a bus here…"

Ollie nodded, and scrutinized the teenager. "Does Bruce know you're alive?"

Steph's expression grew anxious "I… no. Not that I know of. I… Pleasedon'ttellhim. Please." 

Ollie was about to ask her why, then stopped himself. It was Bruce they were talking about, here. That encounter was bound to be a shitstorm- look at how he'd handled Jason. He sighed. "I take it you want wait to have that particular… reunion."

Steph nodded. "I'll tell him eventually," she said quietly. "I promise. But I'd prefer it be on my terms. And I'd prefer if none of the other Bats found out yet, either. It'd get back to Bruce. And Robin is gonna flip out, and I'm… I'm not ready to deal with all that yet." 

Ollie rubbed the bridge of his nose, contemplating another beer. "I won't tell anyone, kid. But no promises that they won't find out, anyway. It's Batman and Oracle we're talking about."

Steph scrunched her nose, but nodded. 

They both jumped when the front door banged open.

"Hey Ollie, you home?"

Steph froze, panicked. Black Canary. She'd heard somewhere that Ollie and Dinah had been an item, but she hadn't anticipated Dinah in Star City. She bent over her mug, hoping her hair would hide her face

Dinah strode into the kitchen, glancing at the table before heading to the fridge. "Hey Ollie, hey Mia- you should go to bed, it's a school night…"

Ollie cleared his throat. "Uh, Dinah, your com isn't on right now, right?"

"No, why do you ask-" she turned, and trailed off when she realized it wasn't Mia sitting at the table. Ollie prodded Steph's arm, and she looked up, miserably.

Dinah very much did _not_ drop the glass she'd been holding. If she set it down less than carefully on the counter, well. But she definitely didn't drop it, and anyone who might claim so later was lying.

" _Stephanie!?_ "

Steph squirmed. "Um. Hi?"

Ollie could feel the beginnings of a headache. "Hey Dinah, grab a beer and come sit down. We have a… situation to discuss." As an afterthought he added, "And if you could grab me one, too, I'd be extremely grateful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the whole saga of Ollie's infamous resurrection, see Green Arrow: Quiver (Green Arrow v3, #1-10). If nothing else, read it for Etrigan. And Ollie's literal quest to heaven to retrieve his soul. The whole thing is gold. (Plus, it's where we meet Mia!)


	4. Chapter 4

Dinah sighed, and drained the rest of her beer. "Right, okay. I'd say we should let people in Gotham know you're okay, but Bruce is… well, Bruce.  And I love Babs to bits, but she's still a Bat…" She turned to Steph. "I'm warning you, though, once they find out we've been keeping information from them, it's not going to be pretty. They don't exactly react well to surprises." 

Steph nodded. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm putting it off until I feel like I'm ready to handle the Bat-lectures again."

Dinah tiredly smiled. "Shock aside, I'm glad you're okay, kiddo. I should've known you'd be too damn stubborn to stay down."

Steph nearly knocked her glass over. She still wasn't used to getting positive attention from capes. And it was Black Canary, too!

Both Ollie and Dinah smiled at the infectious grin that had lit up Stephanie's face.

Ollie stretched. "You have a place to stay, kid?"

Steph looked down into her empty mug. "Uh. I was on my way to a youth hostel when I got sidetracked by that mugger…"

Ollie met Dinah's gaze, and she quirked an amused smile, giving him a nod.

"We have a spare room. Why don't you crash here?"

"I… I really wouldn't want to be any trouble…"

Ollie rolled his eyes. "Spare us, kid. You've been traveling for days, and you're clearly exhausted. I have no idea how much spare cash you have, but it doesn't look like it's a lot, plus you need to lie down before you fall over. At the very least, you're staying tonight." He paused, taking in the teen's slumped posture and the bags under her eyes. "And as your new boss, I say you don't start work 'til Monday. You need a few days of rest." Ollie held up a hand as Steph started to protest. "Uh uh. You're getting a bed, a hot shower, and at least a couple of meals, or I'm telling Batman you're here."

Steph glared at him. "You're evil."

Ollie grinned. "Never pretended to be otherwise."

~~~

After a hot shower, Steph had to admit that Green Arrow had had a point. She nearly fell asleep twice while washing, and it was all she could do to stumble into bed afterwards. And this bed was far more comfortable than anything she'd slept in for… well, over a year, now.

Despite her exhaustion, however, she woke up before the sun had risen, stifling back a scream. It took her a moment to get her bearings, even longer to reassure herself that the dark room wasn't Black Mask's apartment. She took deep breaths, trying to slow her racing heartbeat the way Leslie had taught her. Even with the breathing exercises, it took several minutes for Steph to stop shaking.

Steph looked at the clock. _5am. Joy._ There was no way in hell she was going to be able to fall sleep again, so she stood and stretched. Her muscles felt stiff and underused; she'd spent too much of the past few days sitting in cramped transportation. Steph was struck by the sudden desire for an intensive workout- something to get her muscles working again, to burn off the anxious energy she could feel trembling under her skin.

_Four vigilantes live in this house. There's gotta be a gym around here somewhere._

_~~~_

Steph hit the punching bag again. Her knuckles were raw, but she didn't want to stop; she _needed_ something to hit, something to do, something to prove to herself that she was tougher than anyone who had tried to stop her. She was so involved with pummeling the bag, she didn't notice the person who'd been standing in the doorway until they loudly cleared their throat.

Steph whirled around, ready for a fight. She relaxed a bit when she realized it was Black Canary. In fuzzy Batman-printed pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt, no less. Steph's brain couldn't quite compute the image. 

Before she could stop herself, Steph blurted out "Nice pants."

Luckily, Canary just looked down and smiled. "Babs gave them to me for my birthday one year. In retaliation for something, can't remember what. I wear them just to annoy Ollie." She paused, looking at Steph with an uncomfortably sharp gaze. "Didn't exactly expect to see you up this early."

Steph looked down. "Uh. Couldn't sleep. Not that the room wasn't really nice, because it definitely was, that was maybe the most comfortable bed I've slept in my entire life…"

Dinah softly interrupted Steph's ramble. "Bad dreams?"

Steph nodded. She glanced at Black Canary's face, and couldn't read the expression there at all.

"C'mon, I'll make you coffee. Or tea. Or whatever. And breakfast. You good with bacon and eggs?"

Steph nodded again, not really sure how to respond.

"Oh good," Dinah said, grinning. "I don't know if I could handle another vegan in the house."

~~~

Black Canary placed a heaping plate of bacon and scrambled eggs in front of Steph, and sat across the counter with a plate at least twice as laden. Without hesitation, Canary set herself to demolishing her mountain of food. In contrast to the other woman's enthusiasm, Steph only picked at her meal. 

Black Canary looked up at Steph, a piece of bacon speared on her fork. "Eat up, kiddo. You've been at it for awhile, and you need to refuel." Steph nodded. Usually she would be all over breakfast food, but her stomach still felt tight and knotted. She forced herself to take a bite of eggs. 

After a minute or so of forcing down food, Stephanie paused to consider something. "How did you know I was down there?"

Black Canary smiled at her. "We have motion sensors. And cameras. Ollie's been a bit anal about security ever since some disgruntled criminals blew up the kitchen."

Oh. Steph should have thought of that. "Um, I'm sorry if I woke you up or anything…"

Canary shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's not a problem." Dinah paused, carefully considering her next words. "Stephanie- I understand, y'know. I've been in your place before-"

Steph looked away. "You've accidentally started a deadly gang-war trying to prove yourself to a man that doesn't give two shits about you, almost died, and ran away to Africa for a year?"

Dinah gazed levelly at Steph, unfazed by the attempted deflection. "Not _exactly_ your place, obviously. But from what Oracle told me, what happened with Black Mask kind of… parallels some things that happened to me a while back." Dinah sighed, shoving her tangled hair out of her face. "I know first hand what stuff that kind of trauma can do to a person. So, if you need to talk to anyone, I'm here. Let me know if there's anything you need, or anything I can do to help."

Steph stared at her plate, unsure how to respond. "Um. Thank you." She took a bite of bacon to save herself from having to say anything else.

Dinah and Steph finished their breakfasts in silence. As she was getting up to put her plate in the sink, Steph took a deep breath. "Uh, Ms. Canary…?"

Dinah stifled back a laugh. "Dinah, kiddo. You can call me Dinah." 

"Er. Dinah. I don't know if there's much I want to talk about right now, but there might be something else that could help…"

"Oh?"

"I've been training a lot in the time I've been gone. To make sure that I'm better prepared next time, or at least I won't go down without a fight. And you're supposed to be reallyreally good at hand-to-hand combat…"

Dinah raised an eyebrow. "You'd like me to train you."

"Um, if it wouldn't be too much trouble… I know before everything happened, you said you were too busy to train a kid…"

Dinah smiled reassuringly. "I think I can put aside some time. And Connor is a hell of a martial artist, too- he's been training Mia, and I'm sure he'd be willing to expand the lessons to include you, if you asked."

Steph gave Dinah a smile, a real one that reached her eyes. "Thank you soso much itwouldmeantheworldtome-"

Dinah reached across the counter and put her hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "I would be honored to train you, Stephanie. I mean it."

Steph beamed. She felt like she might explode from all the positive reinforcement she'd been getting. Well, she'd go out in a happy explosion, at least.

"Now put away your plate and go take a nap, kiddo. You couldn't have gotten more than three hours of sleep, and I want you at least semi-rested before I start throwing punches at you."

Steph nodded, and rapidly cleared away her dishes. Dinah sat back and grinned as she watched Steph bounce up the stairs. Steph could light up an entire room with her smile- Dinah privately vowed to get her to do it more often.


	5. Chapter 5

Steph woke again to light streaming through her window. She rolled over to check her clock- 2:00PM. She'd managed to sleep six hours, longer than she'd slept in weeks. Steph smiled a little to herself. Apparently the workout had done her good. And Black Canary was going to train her! …Possibly. The idea was so improbable that Steph wondered if she'd dreamed that part. She really hoped she hadn't.

Steph hopped in the shower, changed into her least-dirty clothes ( _note to self: ask about laundry later_ ), and ambled down towards the kitchen. She hesitated on the steps when she saw a stranger sitting at the counter. The man looked up and smiled at her. 

"Oh hey, you're awake. Dinah's out on Birds business, but she told me to expect you at some point."

"Uh…"

"Oh! Um, I'm Connor, by the way. Ollie's son."

Crap, Connor was attractive. She'd known that already, but it was one thing to see someone masked and running around dark alleyways, and another to see someone in a t-shirt in full daylight. God, archers had nice biceps. And shoulders. And everything, really. She still maintained that Nightwing was the peak of male superhero hotness, but Connor had just shot to a solid second place on her list of Pretty Boys in Tights. No offense to Superboy.

Steph swallowed, trying not to blush. "I, um, I met you in Gotham awhile back. I'm Stephanie, but Dinah probably told you that already…"

Connor nodded, and an awkward silence descended on the room. Stephanie itched to fill it.

"Er, it's nice to meet you. Without costumes and stuff, I mean. Um."

The young man smiled hesitantly. "Same. So, uh. Can I get you some food or anything?"

Steph cast her eyes around the kitchen. "Is that a waffle iron  over there?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm not exactly great with it, though- I'm vegan, so I don't really eat waffles..."

Steph grinned. "Give me five minutes with google and access to your refrigerator, and we'll see if we can fix that."

~~~ 

The vegan waffle recipe that Steph found could use some tweaking, but the results were definitely passable. And the fresh fruit that Connor had cut up for toppings helped significantly. Given the enthusiasm with which Connor was eating, Steph counted the whole experiment as a success. 

"I told you they're good!" Stephanie cheerfully informed her newfound partner in kitchen shenanigans.

He had to take a moment to chew and swallow before he could reply. "I will never doubt you again."

Just then, the front door swung open, and a disgruntled blonde teenager walked in. Steph could hear mutters of "goddamn group projects" and "I'm a fucking _Teen Titan_ how did I end up with these _idiots_."

Mia stomped through the door, then abruptly stopped to survey the chaos that was the kitchen. Dirty bowls and measuring cups were scattered everywhere. A bag of flour had spilled across the table. There were appliances on the counter that Mia hadn't even known Ollie _owned._ The epicenter of the mess seemed to be a small blonde girl with her hair in a tangled ponytail and a streak of flour on her cheek.

Steph smiled and gave a tentative wave. "Um. Hi! I'm Stephanie! Ollie is kinda keeping me hostage at your house for the time being! You want a waffle?"

Mia blinked, then glanced at Connor. He seemed unconcerned, so the other girl couldn't be an uninvited intruder. Connor saw Mia's confusion, and looked a bit sheepish.

"Uh, Ollie didn't remember to tell you about Steph this morning, did he."

"He may have neglected to mention her…" drawled Mia.

Connor awkwardly stood. "Steph, this is Mia, also known as Speedy. Mia, this is Stephanie, also known as the Spoiler. She'll be staying with us for the next few days."

Mia frowned. "Spoiler… wait, aren't you Robin's dead girlfriend?"

Stephanie sighed. This conversation was starting to get kinda old. "Grab some waffles and sit down. This takes a bit of explaining."

~~~

 Mia decided that at the very least, the surprise guest made decent waffles.

"…and yeah, that's how Green Arrow Senior decided that I'm now living in your guest room."

Mia nodded. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about you _actually_ being resurrected. Last time that happened, I almost ended up as a demonic sacrifice. Not as fun as it sounds."

Steph grinned. "I still need to get the details of that story. I was around when Batman was poking at undead-Ollie, but he never told me what happened after that…"

Mia groaned. "Get Ollie to tell it. It was a complete clusterfuck."

Connor frowned. "Language, Mia."

Mia stuck her tongue out at him. "Nah, Steph doesn't mind, right?"

Steph grinned and raised her hands. "I make a point not to intervene in sibling disputes. Especially when said siblings beat up criminals for fun."

Mia turned to stick out her tongue at Steph. Steph cheerfully stuck out her tongue in return.

Mia decided that she could definitely learn to like this new chick. 

~~~

After Stephanie and Connor managed to tame most of the kitchen mess (and no, Steph could not explain how she got batter on the ceiling, it just _happened,_ okay?), Connor and Mia headed downstairs for training. Steph felt a bit at a loss. Dinah had said she could ask Connor to train her, but she wasn't really sure how to broach the subject. She slipped into her workout gear and headed downstairs, anyway. It was a large gym; she could practice somewhere removed from the two archers, and watch how they worked. 

Conner and Mia were sparring on the mats at one end of the gym; Steph walked to the other side, and started stretching. She eyed the weight machines. She hadn't worked with weights since before her disappearance from Gotham, and though she'd worked hard to get back in shape after she'd recovered from the worst of her injuries, she still wasn't as strong as she'd like. No time like the present to start fixing that...

Steph was on her third rep of bench presses when she heard Mia call her name. She set the weights down and sat up. "Hm?"

"Wanna spar? I could use a partner who didn't, y'know, train for years in a monastery… Besides, I've sparred with Robin, and I want to see if the current iteration of Robin is especially scary, or if it's just a general Bat thing."

Steph let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it turns out that I'm not actually made of Robin material…"

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Get your butt over here, and we'll see what kind of material _Spoiler_ is made of, then."

Steph grinned. She and Mia were going to get along just fine.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Punching things is the *best* coping mechanism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter in particular should be prefaced with a massive trigger warning for discussion of Mia and Steph's very fucked up pasts. There's nothing graphic, but there are mentions of past child abuse, incest, rape, underage prostitution, homelessness, drug use, HIV, teenage pregnancy, and torture. (Jeez, DC has not been kind to these girls.)

At breakfast the next morning, Steph curiously eyed the large assortment of prescription bottles that Mia had at the table.

Mia noticed Steph staring, and sighed. It would only be a matter of time before the other girl found out, anyway. "I'm HIV positive."

"Oh, okay." Steph went back to stirring her cereal.

Mia had witnessed a lot of reactions to that declaration, but Stephanie's lack of reaction threw her off balance. 

"I was a hooker," Mia said, trying to get a rise, or at least _some_ sort of reaction from the other girl. "My dad raped me and sold me out to his friends, until I ran away. I lived on the streets, and whored myself to survive. Shot speed, too. It wasn't safe to sleep- had to stay awake most of the time."

The other girl didn't even flinch. Mia scrutinized her face, looking for the tell-tale signs of pity or disgust. They weren't there. Mia shifted uncomfortably. Either Batman had trained this kid to conceal her expressions- it wouldn't surprise her, given that the Robin she knew was the _definition_ of unreadable- or she genuinely wasn't put off.

Stephanie waited for a beat, giving the other girl a chance to continue. When Mia didn't say anything, Steph nodded. "Okay," she said.

Mia was seriously weirded out. "Okay? That's it?"

"Um, am I supposed to say something else?" Steph replied.

"Uh, this is usually the time that people look at me pityingly and tell me they're _so_ sorry. Or avoid eye contact and awkwardly excuse themselves."

Steph shrugged. "Listen, I understand. You did what you had to."

Mia side-eyed Stephanie. "And how exactly would little Miss Batbaby understand something like _that_?"

Steph actually _cackled_. "Oh, honey. I was never a Bat, not really. Even before I went and got myself 'killed', I was a bit of a black sheep." Her expression sobered. "But seriously. If things had gone down a little differently, I'd probably have ended up in your shoes."

Mia remained unconvinced.

Stephanie sighed. "Listen, would it make you feel better if I ran through the whole stupid sob story? I'll tell you if you want, but I don't want to make you feel like I'm pulling the pity-card or something."

Mia blinked, then nodded.

"Right. Okay. So, my dad was a villain. Not even a big-name supervillain- a B-lister who called himself 'The Cluemaster.' Only good at two things: getting himself thrown in Blackgate, and being an abusive asshole. Used to knock me around and lock me in a closet. The only reason I didn't run away for good was because I was too worried about my mom. She was doped up on pain meds most of the time, and couldn't really take care of herself." Steph's voice softened. "It's the reason I became the Spoiler, y'know. I wanted to get back at dear old dad, get him locked up again." She smiled a little to herself. 

"Anyway, since I didn't really have anyone who cared at home, I looked for attention elsewhere. I slept with a bunch of older guys, didn't know enough to use protection. I'm actually surprised I didn't end up with an STD. As is, I got knocked up at the ripe old age of fifteen. I have a daughter, somewhere. Don't know her name or who ended up adopting her." She sighed. "And then I dated Robin, tried desperately to get Batman to accept me because whoa, daddy issues up the wazoo, was Robin for like 2 seconds, got fired, accidentally started a massive gang-war, got myself tortured to near-death in the process, aaaaaaaand almost everyone I've ever cared about thinks I'm dead right now. So yeah, I'm not exactly in any position to judge." She directed a wobbly smile towards Mia.

Welp. Apparently this one wasn't a Bat-robot, after all. Mia tried to smile back at the other blonde. "We should start a teen superhero with shitty-ass dads support group."

Steph snorted. "I know more than a few people who could use it. I have… had. Had another friend back in Gotham whose dad is a frigging _assassin._ " Steph closed her eyes as the homesickness hit like a punch to the gut. She tried not to let it show.

But Mia noticed; she _was_ an archer after all; she was observant. She kind of wished she hadn't been quite so snippy earlier. "Well," she quipped, "that was depressing! Glad we got the tragic backstories out of the way. Wanna stop moping and go punch stuff?" 

Steph grinned. "Oh Hell yes."

~~~

About half an hour into some enthusiastic punching, Steph heard someone clear their throat behind her. Startled, she whirled around, and would have decked Black Canary, had the other woman not caught her fist.

Steph's eyes widened. "Whoops I'msosorryOhMyGod…"

"Nah, don't worry. Sorry to startle you." Dinah winced a bit, and shook out her wrist. "Well, at least I know you have a solid punch."

Steph looked down guiltily.

"So, you still up for training?"

Steph immediately perked up, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

Dinah smiled back.

~~~

A couple hours into training, and Dinah was officially impressed. Sure, the kid wasn't an extraordinary fighter - she had never had consistent training, and it showed - but like in everything else, she was stubborn as hell. She wouldn't stop trying until she'd gotten a move exactly right, no matter how many attempts it took. And even though the girl was currently panting with exertion, she hadn't complained once. Dinah wasn't entirely sure if she would have been capable of that at Steph's age.

"Okay, let's call it a break before you fall over."

Steph nodded, too winded to reply aloud. In comparison, Dinah looked like she'd barely broken a sweat. Steph idly wondered how many years of training it would take for fighting to come that easily. She bet it was a depressingly long time.

As if she read her mind, Dinah patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, if you're not exhausted by the time I'm through with you, I'm not pushing you hard enough." She grinned in a way that was not reassuring at all. "Can't promise you that things'll get easier, because  they won't. Not in training, at least. Your average opponent on the street will get significantly easier to handle, though, if I'm doing my job right."

Steph trudged up the stairs. Her muscles were going to be one big ache tomorrow, she could feel it. _But it's worth it_ , she told herself. _It has to be._


	7. Chapter 7

Dinah kept true to her promise- training never got any easier. Steph's body started to adjust to the constant exertion, though. Between mornings spent training and afternoons spent wrangling kids at the youth center, Steph got used to falling into bed utterly exhausted every night. Despite the muscle aches and the tendency to start to doze off during dinner, Steph was actually grateful for her tiring schedule. Exhaustion meant she woke less often to nightmares.

And besides, if the exhaustion meant she would never find herself helpless again, she would weather it gladly.

~~~

They were halfway through a sparring match when Dinah noticed that Steph was unusually favoring her right wrist.

"Wait," said Dinah, "Stand down. Come over here."

Steph walked over. "Is your wrist okay?" Dinah asked. 

Steph shrugged. "It's fine, don't worry about it." 

Dinah looked at the girl skeptically. "C'mon, let me take a look."

The girl obediently placed her wrist in Dinah's palm. Dinah examined the joint, and winced. It was bruising, and definitely swollen. "How long has your wrist been hurting you?"

Steph shrugged again. "For the last hour, I guess?"

Dinah thought over the last hour, which had included multiple striking exercises. It must have been hell on what looked like a fairly serious sprain. "And you didn't tell me because…?"

"I always thought I should work through the pain? And besides, Cass and Tim never complained if something hurt…" 

Dinah sensed that the sentence ended with an unsaid _and I didn't want to disappoint Batman._

Steph wasn't exactly sure what Dinah muttered next, but she was pretty certain it contained the words "Bruce" and "stoic assholes."

"Listen, Stephanie. There's a difference between working through normal muscle aches and ignoring an injury. The first is part of training, but the second can do serious damage. If something really hurts, I need you to stop and _tell_ me, okay? Pain generally indicates that there's something _wrong_."

Dinah looked at Steph, who conspicuously avoided her gaze. Dinah sighed. "Look. We're crafting your body into a weapon, right? But as with any weapon, you have to keep it in good repair, and treat it with respect. If you're injured, you need to stop at the first opportunity and take care of it, okay?"

Dinah stared pointedly at Steph until the girl nodded. "Right, let's go get some ice on that."

Not for the first time, Dinah really wanted to punch Bruce in the face. She was going to have _words_ with him the next time she had an opportunity. 


	8. Chapter 8

A day a month or so after Steph had arrived in Star City, Mia knocked on Steph's door. Steph was half undressed; she'd just gotten back from the youth center, and wanted to change into something a little less mud-stained. "Uh, gimme a sec?" Steph called, tripping as she tried to put on a pair of sweatpants and walk towards the door at the same time. Steph hit the floor with a thump, instinctively rolling to avoid injury. She stared down at her tangled legs and scowled. "Stephanie Brown: undead teenage vigilante, defeated by her arch nemesis gravity once again." 

"Everything alright in there?" She heard Mia call in a suspiciously sweet tone.

"All good!" Steph managed to make it to her feet, pull up her pants, and stumble to open the door without falling on her face, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. From the smile that Mia was barely hiding, she hadn't succeeded very well.

Mia cleared her throat. "Connor and I were wondering if you'd like to patrol with us tonight? Ollie was called in by the League and Dinah is off on a mission with the Birds, and we could use the extra pair of hands."

Steph could feel her heart rate spike. She wasn't sure whether to be excited or terrified. "Um. That would be okay? With Ollie and Dinah?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I think Dinah's been wanting to get you out on patrol for a week now, but didn't want to push you. You don't have to come if you still don't feel comfortable going out in the field, but you told Connor that your goal was to get back to being Spoiler, and you have to start sometime… besides, I'd like you to come." Mia smiled shyly. "I think we'd work well together."

Steph tried not to blush. "Um. Sure. Yeah! That'd be great. But, um, my Spoiler costume isn't exactly in peak condition…"

Mia grinned. "Let me show you the giant closet of repair stuff. And kidnap Connor from whatever he's doing. He's amazingly good with a sewing machine."

~~~

Steph crouched on a rooftop, the breeze ruffling her cloak. _God, I missed this,_ she thought as she scanned the street below for signs of disturbance. She felt Mia land beside her. 

"See anything?" Speedy asked.

"No… wait, over there." Spoiler pointed to an alleyway a couple blocks over, where several thugs advanced on a terrified-looking street kid. Speedy leapt over the rooftops to get a better vantage point, and Spoiler followed. They landed on a fire escape overlooking the alley. 

"-I, I swear I didn't steal nuthin'…" the kid squeaked.

"Oh yeah?" One of the bigger thugs growled and stepped closer, cracking his knuckles. "Then why did Marco see you sneaking around last night?"

The kid cringed. "Really, it wasn't me-"

Speedy gave Spoiler a nod.

The thug raised his fist, but before he could strike, he felt someone land behind him and grab his wrist.

"Now that isn't nice at all," Spoiler drawled. The man whirled to face her. 

"And who the hell are you?" he asked incredulously. 

"Oh, just a concerned citizen," Spoiler replied sweetly. "Now be a good boy, and leave the kid alone."

The brawler growled and swung at her. She dodged easily and drew in, connecting with a solid punch to his jaw before sweeping the stunned man's feet out from under him. The man didn't try to get up after he hit the ground.

"Anyone else?" she cheerfully asked the thugs surrounding her. They charged. Steph ducked under a tattooed guy with a crowbar, sending him sprawling with a quick twist. She kicked the next thug in the gut, while another guy howled and hit the ground, an arrow sprouting from his leg. Spoiler and Speedy made quick work of the remaining goons, Speedy swinging down to help Spoiler zip-tie the unconscious and groaning gang members. The kid had had the good sense to flee during the fight. 

After they'd notified the proper authorities and retired to the rooftops, Mia laughed and gave Steph a high five. "So, how did that feel?"

Steph pulled off her mask and grinned. "This is the most fun I've had in over a year!"

Mia grinned back, and slung an arm around the other girl's shoulder. "Told ya we'd make a good team!"

~~~

Patrol became routine, after that. Steph didn't go out every night; she needed _some_ rest to be able to deal with the combination of wrangling children by daylight and wrangling Star City's streets after dark. Nonetheless, most nights saw her flitting over rooftops, often with Connor or Mia by her side. She liked working with them both. Unlike the heroes of Gotham, they treated her as an equal, and respected her as a crime fighter. 

Connor's quiet steadiness was comforting; it reminded her a bit of working with Cass. And like with Cass, sometimes Steph just had to pause and admire Connor's hand-to-hand combat skills. Sure, he was great with a bow, but when he was fighting, he moved like a work of art. A really pretty work of art, if she did say so. If Connor noticed her staring sometimes, he was polite enough not to say anything. Steph suspected that he was used to that reaction by now. 

With Mia, more often than not their nights would end with them rolling around laughing on a rooftop somewhere. It was nice to have someone to quip with, who wouldn't scold her for snarking. Mia's grin reminded Steph how much _fun_ crime fighting could be. Yes, it was a serious job, but it didn't mean it always had to be grim and dark and solemn. And though Mia wasn't the hand-to-hand fighter Connor was, Steph liked having her at her back. They _worked_ together, knew each others' moves and how to best complement them. Steph wondered if that rapport was a little like what Tim felt when he was fighting alongside Batman. 

And best of all, she had Dinah and Ollie's blessing. Dinah continued to train her, sometimes taking Steph on patrol with her and demonstrating techniques in the field. As Dinah had predicted in the beginning, though training never felt any easier, as the weeks wore on Steph found her various nighttime opponents easier and easier to deal with. If she ever got too overconfident, though, Dinah didn't hesitate to sweep her on her ass. And Steph was grateful- she knew first-hand how deadly overconfidence could be. Though she often ran into fights laughing, part of her treated every opponent like a potential Black Mask. It was always better to find a fight disappointingly easy than to underestimate her foe.

Part of her wondered what Bruce would say, now. But not a very large part.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now a very brief interlude...

When Stephanie had first arrived, Dinah could hear her night terrors through the walls. Not every night, and Dinah was sure that she didn't catch close to every one. 

Just the bad ones. The ones that ended in screaming. 

She would never tell Stephanie. The last thing the girl needed was another thing to worry about, and Dinah knew that if she ever directly mentioned it, Steph would feel like she couldn't make noise, couldn't use her voice as a release. And if anyone knew about the psychological release of screaming, it was Dinah.

Usually, Stephanie's screams were wordless. Sometimes there were protests, or pleas.  

Sometimes, there were names. In her sleep, Steph plead to Black Mask, less often to her father. Dinah had expected that. 

She hadn't expected to hear Stephanie plead to Batman.

As the weeks wore on, Dinah heard Steph wake up less and less often; the bags under Stephanie's eyes slowly started to recede. It was Dinah's first concrete evidence that the girl was beginning to heal.

But Dinah never, ever forgot the nights when Stephanie had awoken screaming Batman's name in terror.

And she would never, ever be able to forgive Bruce for that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you were waiting for the rest of the Birds to show up, your wait is over :)

Barbara scowled at the screen. At first she'd hoped that the rumors of the girl running around Star City in a Spoiler costume was just a case of uncertain lighting and some newbie with a penchant for purple cloaks, but the security cam photos told differently. Whoever they were, their costume was unmistakably Spoiler. Babs sighed and glared at the dregs at the bottom of her coffee mug. Even if she'd never been close to Stephanie, she owed it to the memory of the girl to make sure some stupid kid didn't run off with her identity. More importantly, she owed it to Cass, and to Tim. She really didn't want to see Tim confronted with a Spoiler impersonator. It'd be like kicking a puppy in teeth.  

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Barbara slipped on her headset.

"O to Canary… you there?"

There was a moment of silence, then Babs heard a familiar voice crackling through the radio static.

"Yeah, gimme a sec…" A pause, and the distinct sound of a fist meeting someone's jaw. Barbara smiled a little to herself. "Sorry, caught me in the middle of some company. What's up?"

"You remember Spoiler?"

A pause. "Um… yes?" 

Barbara frowned. Something was strange about Dinah's tone. "Apparently there's some kid in Star City running around in her old costume. Have you seen anything?"

"Not that I can recall?" 

Barbara arched an eyebrow. "You _sure_ about that?"

"I. No. I haven't seen anything."

Babs scowled. She loved Dinah to bits, but the woman had never been a good liar, not to people who knew her well. She was definitely hiding something. Barbara sighed a little to herself. She didn't want to get in a fight over the coms, especially since Dinah wasn't her operative at the moment.

"Okay. If you see or hear anything, let me know?"

"Right. I'll do that." 

"Thanks. Oracle out."

Barbara shut her eyes for a moment. What wasn't Dinah telling her? She dialed a phone number, shooting another glare at the security photographs. "Hey Huntress, Lady Blackhawk- I know it's been awhile, but how do you feel about a field trip to Star City?

~~~

Helena kept a lookout for a flash of purple; she knew Babs was doing the same from her screen full of security feeds and secret cameras. It felt like a wild goose chase, but Helena kept that thought to herself. 

Just as she was starting to contemplate whether non-Gothamites would freak out about a costumed vigilante walking into Arby's (Green Arrow had to get hungry sometimes, right? She bet he ordered fast food all the time…), she caught a movement in her peripheral vision. Leaping to another rooftop to get a better view, Helena saw the distinctive silhouette of the Spoiler costume. "I've got visual contact," Huntress whispered into her com. "Engaging in pursuit."

"Good," she heard Barbara reply, voice distorted by Oracle's scramblers. "Remember, covert intelligence only. No confrontations tonight."

"Got it," Helena replied, and took off after the cloaked figure. Stealth wasn't her strongest suit, but she didn't spend so much time skulking around Gotham and its batty protectors without picking up a few tricks. She just hoped whoever was under the cloak didn't have super-senses or something.

Luckily for Helena, her quarry seemed to remain oblivious. She tailed her for about an hour, watching her take down drug dealers and muggers. She had to admit, questionable choice of costume aside, the girl was pretty decent. When the girl brought down an abusive pimp via a particularly brutal kick to the balls, Helena couldn't help grinning. Oh, she liked this one. Maybe she should just talk to her about legacies and general superhero etiquette, and let her do her thing. Besides, with Huntress's history, it wasn't exactly fair of her to shut down a rookie vigilante…

Just then, she caught a flash of red in her peripheral vision. She turned to see Speedy running over a nearby rooftop. Helena swore to herself, and hid herself more deeply in the shadows. The last thing she wanted was for Mia to spot her and inform Dinah. 

Fortunately, the girl wasn't headed towards Helena. Instead, she headed towards Spoiler-girl. At first Helena thought that Speedy had beaten her to warning the girl off, but instead, she exchanged a few muffled words, laughed, then slung her arm around the girl's shoulders. Well. Spoiler apparently had an accomplice. 

It was a testament to Connor's training that Helena didn't see or hear him approach until he'd already landed on the roof with the two girls. When he was pulled into the conversation and laughed at something Spoiler-girl had said, Helena frowned. If _Connor_ sanctioned the newcomer, there was no way that Dinah wasn't aware of her. 

She headed off to track down a certain blonde in fishnets. To hell with Oracle's instructions. Dinah had some serious explaining to do.

~~~

Dinah came home from patrol to find a very annoyed purple-clad, crossbow-wielding vigilante waiting for her on a nearby rooftop.

"Huntress? What're you doing here?"

Helena scowled. "Digging up information for O, since _you're_ incapable of sharing."

Dinah raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"The girl in the Spoiler get-up, Dinah. And don't feed me some bullshit line about how you have 'no idea what I'm talking about.' I saw Connor and Mia being all chummy with her earlier. There's no way they haven't told you _something._ "

It was Dinah's turn to scowl.

"Y'know what? It's none of your goddamn business--" 

"The hell it isn't! How can you be so blasé about some idiot teenager stealing an identity that a girl _died_ for!?"

"God damn it Helena, it's not that simple--"

"Care to enlighten me, then?"

The two women glared at each other, silently daring the other to speak first. 

Their stony silence was only broken when someone in the shadows pointedly cleared their throat. They both spun to look for the source of the noise. 

Spoiler stepped forward. "This is probably my cue to step in."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> involving assorted disgruntled, purple-clad vigilante ladies

Stephanie had been on her way back to Ollie's- she had work tomorrow, and she needed _some_ sleep before attempting to wrangle a horde of sullen middle-schoolers- when she realized that two women were blocking her most efficient path to bed. Apparently Dinah had company.  

A moment later, Steph recognized the other woman standing on the rooftop, and her eyes widened under her mask.

_Uh oh._

Steph darted out of the Huntress's potential line of sight, and hid behind a chimney. She briefly debated what to do, but her curiosity easily won out.

She stalked closer to the two women, until she was close enough to hear their argument.

"-How can you be so blasé about some idiot teenager stealing an identity that a girl _died_ for-"

_Oh._

_Ohcrap._

This wasn't good at all. Babs must have noticed her running around Star City. Not that it was particularly surprising- it was bound to happen eventually- but Steph had hoped that she'd have a few more weeks, at least. She couldn't let Dinah take the flack for her, though. She owed her mentor better than that. Besides, this was _her_ mess- it was time for her to face the consequences. 

Steeling herself, Steph cleared her throat, and stepped out into view.

"This is probably my cue to step in."

Steph tried not to flinch when Huntress's glare turned to round on her. She silently moved Huntress up on her personal list of Ladies To Not Piss Off. (Still somewhere below Oracle, but she now ranked above Catwoman, at the very least. She hoped she never, ever acquired the data to make those rankings more precise. Brr.)

"So, um. Explanations." Steph tried not to let her voice squeak, with limited success. "Pleasedon'tbeangryatDinah. This is all on me, I swear."

Huntress looked unimpressed. Steph took a gulp of air to steady her nerves, then ripped off her cowl, bracing herself the same way she would if she were ripping off a crusty bandage. She'd take redressing wounds over this, any day. 

"Yeah. So. Hi! Not actually all that dead! Um. Surprise?"

Helena blinked several times. "Stephanie!?"

"Um. Yep! This is probably where I explain everything in uncomfortable detail. You might wanna sit down. It's a long story."

Dinah smiled encouragingly at Stephanie, then slung her arm around Helena's shoulders. "C'mon downstairs, I'll grab you a beer. And I'll bet Zinda is lurking around here somewhere. Invite her too."

Helena smiled a bit, and complied. Zinda would kill her if she missed an opportunity for free beer.

~~~ 

Several beers and lots of explanations later, Helena mused that this wasn't even the strangest superhero resurrection story she'd heard this month. God, she had _not_ anticipated the degree of weirdness that vigilante life attracted. 

Helena absently rubbed her forehead. "O is _not_ going to be happy that she didn't know about this,y'know."

Stephanie grimaced. "Yeah, I know. I'm actually kinda surprised she or Batman didn't jump down my throat sooner."

Dinah tapped at her empty beer bottle. "I actually have a theory about that. I think neither of them really wanted to think about you too much."

Stephanie snorted. "Well, doesn't that do wonders for my self confidence."

"No, not like that… You've got to understand, your death and the events surrounding it- it was painful. For both of them. Babs was in a really bad place, and I'd bet my fishnets that B blamed himself for your death."

Steph made a noise like she was about to object, but Dinah shook her head. "I'm not saying he's _right,_ mind you. But the man can guilt-trip himself even better than he can skulk away and disappear before anyone can force him into actual human interaction. I bet he was too busy brooding to dig too deeply into the details of your 'death'."

Seeing Steph's dark expression, Dinah reached over to squeeze her shoulder. "It's not your fault that B is a piece of work. And Babs… well, you weren't the only thing that was eating at her at the time. They'll be glad to see you, once they get over the shock. Or they damn well better be- they're lucky to be getting you back."

Steph hesitantly smiled at Dinah, who ruffled the girl's hair in response.

Zinda smiled and raised a glass in the vague direction of the two women. "This is sweet, but y'all might wanna contact the Skipper soon. She's gonna start getting antsy."

Helena nodded, and turned to Steph. "What would you like me to say?"

Stephanie sighed. There was only really one way to go, here.

_Time to stop running, Steph._

"Tell her the truth. And tell her I'm coming back to Gotham. She can ask me all the questions she wants in person."

Helena nodded, and turned on her com. Steph made a strategic exit. She was done running, but it didn't mean she particularly wanted to sit around while other people talked about her.

~~~

Dinah found Steph sitting on the roof in civvies, staring out at the city.

"You okay, kiddo?" Dinah asked, plopping down beside the girl. 

Steph shrugged, still gazing out towards the city lights. "Yeah. It's just been a weird night, I guess."

Dinah made a noise of acknowledgment. "Still not ready to go back?"

"No… Yes… I mean, I don't know if I'm ever going to feel _ready_ for this. But it may as well be now, y'know? And I'm done running away. It's time for me to face the music."

"Mm."

Steph sighed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. "But still… Gotham has a lot of memories, both good and bad. And I miss people back home, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kind of scared about how they'll react. And I'm gonna miss you and Ollie and Mia and Connor..."

Dinah edged closer to Steph, bumping her shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone. I'll come with you- It's time for me to pay Gotham a visit, anyway. And know that you can always come back here. No matter what happens in Gotham, you'll be welcome in Star City, as a resident or a guest."

Steph had to blink a few traitorous tears out of her eyes before looking up and smiling at Dinah. "Thank you. Thanks for everything."

Dinah wrapped her arm around Stephanie and squeezed. "It's my pleasure, kiddo." They fell into silence, looking towards the city together.

Dawn found both of them still perched on the roof, Stephanie fast asleep against Dinah's shoulder.


	12. Chapter 12

Oracle at first thought that she'd misheard her friend. 

" _What?_ "

"It's Stephanie, O. Stephanie Brown."

Barbara slid off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Huntress, you realize I have Stephanie's _autopsy_ photos."

"So? It wouldn't be the first time one of us came back. Besides, according to Stephanie, Dr. Thompkins faked those photos. They're apparently of some poor kid who'd ODed around the time Steph got to the clinic."

Barbara could feel a headache beginning to niggle at her temples.

"So she's been alive this entire time."

"Dr. Thompkins faked her death and took Stephanie to Africa with her. Stephanie returned to the States a few months ago, and has been in Star City until now. She's been living with Ollie and Dinah."

Babs's headache started to assert itself emphatically. She sighed. She needed to have a _talk_ with Dinah. Later.

"How do we know that the girl's telling the truth?"

"She sounded pretty convincing to me. Besides, she's volunteered to come back to Gotham to talk you through the details herself. You'll be able to run DNA tests or whatever other arcane science-y things you've appropriated from dubious sources I'm not supposed to know about."

"…Alright. But don't take her to my apartment until we're sure it's actually Stephanie- we don't want to compromise our identities any more than they've already been."

"Um. She knows everyone's names, O. I'm pretty sure it's a moot point."

Barbara groaned and rested her forehead against the cool surface of her desk. She needed an aspirin. Or twenty. 

**~~~**

Mia looked at Steph worriedly. "You sure you're gonna be okay? I know Robin can be an ass sometimes…"

Steph smiled. "I'll be fine, Mia. This needs to happen, and I can't keep putting it off. Besides, by now I'm a certified expert at dealing with upset Bat-people."

Mia almost knocked the wind out of Stephanie with an enthusiastic bear hug. "I'll miss you," she muttered into Steph's shoulder. 

Steph squeezed the other girl back. "I'll miss you too. But I promise to come back and visit. And hey, we could use an archer in Gotham…"

Mia pulled back and grinned at Steph. "Ollie'd probably disown me."

Stephanie laughed. "Okay, true. But you could totally come hang out for a day or two. And I really _will_ come visit."

Mia nodded, and stepped aside to let Connor pull Stephanie into a (much softer) hug. "Take care, Stephanie. And send Robin my regards."

Steph hugged him back. "Shall do. Don't let Ollie get on your case too much." 

Connor smiled, and gently kissed Steph's forehead before letting her go.

Steph turned to Ollie, who shifted uncomfortably. "Let me know if I need to come over there and beat some sense into Bats," he said gruffly.

Steph grinned, and pulled Ollie into a hug of his own. "I'll miss you too, old man."

Ollie grinned back, and ruffled Steph's hair.

"You comin'?" Zinda shouted from the cockpit, "Or am I gonna sit here on my ass all day?"

"Coming!" Steph shouted. She waved at the archers, then picked up her bags to join Dinah and Helena in the cabin. Dinah squeezed her shoulder when Steph slid into the seat next to her.

"Okay, Gotham. Ready or not, here I come."

Helena laughed, and Steph's eyes widened. "Ohshit, that was not meant to be the outside voice."

Helena only laughed harder. When her giggles subsided, she grinned at Stephanie. "No place like home, is there."

Steph wrinkled her nose, and Helena gave her a sympathetic look. "You'll be okay. Coming back can be hard, but you'll find your place again soon enough." Helena's smile turned sharp. "Besides, if things don't go well, being a bat-outcast isn't so bad. Once you get used to the fact that they're going to disapprove of you no matter what, it's kind of fun to see how many different ways you can annoy them."

Steph let out a hollow laugh. "I'm still working on that bit. No matter what I tell myself, I think part of me is always looking for their approval."

"Yeah," Helena replied, her expression softening. "I think a part of us always will." She straightened, and looked Steph in the eye. "You'll be okay. We're on your side. And if you ever need to commiserate over sanctimonious bat-lectures…"

Stephanie smiled. "I'll know who to talk to." Huntress smiled back, and both women settled in for the flight back to Gotham. 

~~~

Steph slept through most of the flight; it was the longest period of uninterrupted sleep she'd had in _days_. She silently thanked Babs for seeing fit to outfit the plane with some _really_ comfortable seats. 

They arrived in Gotham late afternoon. Steph stepped out of the plane, and squinted at the sunlight that had managed to find it's way through the standard Gotham smog. She took a deep breath. It was undeniably her city- with its crime and its stench of pollution, its menacing gargoyles and decrepit, unmaintained apartment buildings. She was back. She was _home._ And this time… 

This time she was ready.

_Or ready as I'll ever be, I guess._

_Alright, Steph. Here we go!_


	13. Chapter 13

Oracle examined the girl in front of her. Well, she definitely _looked_ like Stephanie.

Steph shifted under the other woman's gaze. "Um. Hi, Barbara?"

She sounded like Stephanie, too. But in this business, you really couldn't be too careful…

"Helena gave me the cliff-notes version of how you say you came back, but I'd like to go over the details with you. And I hope you don't take it personally if I don't just take you at your word- there are too many shapeshifters and clones in the world. I'd like to take your fingerprints, blood and saliva samples, and ask you a few questions to confirm your identity."

Dinah glared at Babs for her brusqueness, but Stephanie didn't seem to mind. "Yeah, I kind of expected you would. I'll do whatever you need me to."

Barbara nodded. "I have a small lab down the hallway. If you head over there, I'll join you in a moment."

Babs waited until the girl disappeared through the door to turn to Dinah, who looked irritated. "Wasn't that a little… terse?" Dinah grumbled.

Barbara sighed. "Dinah, I know you believe her, but I can't afford to be as trusting. It's my _job_ to pick at details and look for conspiracies, and it's how I've managed to keep us more-or-less alive so far. Emotional reunions can wait until _after_ I've confirmed it's actually Stephanie."

Dinah deflated a little. "I guess you're right. Just… don't be too hard on her? She's a good kid."

"No promises, but I'll try," Barbara muttered, trying to keep the resentment out of her voice. It stung more than she'd like to admit that Dinah had kept this from her for so long. Before Dinah had time to reply, she turned to head for the lab. That conversation could wait.

~~~

After being swabbed, pricked, scanned, and interrogated for what felt like hours, Steph's patience was starting to wear thin, despite her initial willingness to cooperate. Even after a couple of naps, the whirl of the past day (on top of many late nights beforehand) left Steph more than a little exhausted, and she could feel the sleep deprivation fraying the edges of her temper.

"What do you want, an annotated autobiography?" Steph finally snapped after the umpteenth personal question. "Do you want me to go back to Ghana and kidnap Dr. Thompkins for you? Would that help?"

Barbara turned to look at Stephanie, her expression unreadable. "Be patient, Stephanie. Everything you've told me so far checked out, and as soon as the computer finishes processing these results, we'll be done, okay?"

Steph sighed, closing her eyes. "Sorry. It's been a long day."

A computer monitor beeped, and Barbara went over to study a screenful of data.

"Right, the DNA checks out, too. I do apologize for all this, but there's only so many times you can deal with shapeshifting impersonators before you get a little paranoid. And there've been some… _issues_ with resurrected vigilantes, lately."

Steph tilted her head, curious. "Care to elaborate?"

Barbara sighed. She was uneasy telling the girl any more information than strictly necessary, but… "I guess you should probably know. He's not exactly being quiet about it, and once word gets around that you're back, he may well target you, too, given you're a former Robin and all…" Barbara turned to face a bemused Steph. "While you were… gone, a new crime lord calling himself the Red Hood, rather, er, explosively entered the Gotham underworld. His real name is Jason Todd."

Steph blinked, then her eyes widened as she recognized the name. "You mean, as in, Jason "Terrible Warning to Future Robins" Todd? How did _he_ come back?"

Barbara grimaced. "We're not entirely sure, but I personally suspect that Talia or Ra's al Ghul was involved. He displays Lazarus Pit symptoms, and definitely had access to assassin training as well as a significant sum of money… In any case, we do know that he really was dead, and was brought back to life sometime after he had been buried. As far as I can tell, he's trying to take down the uglier bits of the Gotham underworld from within, but his methods are… brutal. He has no qualms about killing. And he's been extremely antagonistic towards people close to Batman. He beat Tim unconscious, Stephanie. This is _not_ the Robin we knew before he died. Do you understand now why I'm being so cautious?"

Steph nodded. Itching at the grim atmosphere weighing on the room, she quipped "I guess I'm not the only undead Robin. We should form a club. There could be shirts- 'I was tortured to death by a supervillain and all I got was this shitty t-shirt'…" Barbara raised an unimpressed eyebrow, and Stephanie trailed off. _Good job, Steph. The foot-in-mouth-fu is as strong as ever._

They sat in tense silence for a minute, until Barbara sighed. "We need to tell Bruce you're back. And Tim."

Stephanie nodded. "Can I talk to them in person, though? And Cass. I'd like to see Cass."

Barbara nodded. "I can call them over to the tower, and let you fill them in on the details. But Stephanie, I should warn you that things have… changed since you were last here. People have changed."

"Oh?"

"Tim… he's lost a lot of people. He lost you and another close friend in the gang war. Right afterwards, his father was murdered- he got home _just_ too late to stop it. And then he lost Conner in the Crisis, and then Bart… He's changed, Steph. Become even more serious and withdrawn. He's kind of starting to resemble Bruce, honestly."

Stephanie frowned.

"And Cass- she went looking for her mother, and fell off the map for awhile. Apparently her mother was - is - Lady Shiva. Neither of them have really talked about what happened, but we do know there was a fight, and a Lazarus Pit. At least one of them was killed and brought back, if not both. She came back to Gotham only to find that Bruce and Dick and Tim had disappeared on some sort of family-bonding trip; I'd left after the destruction of the clocktower… And then her father… David Cain and Slade Wilson managed to tag her with a mind control drug, made her work for the League of Assassins. They forced her to _kill,_ Stephanie. Tim eventually managed to detox her, but… I know Cass has always been quiet, but now she's darker. Closed off."

Steph's frown deepened. "Christ. Any other horrible things I should know about?"

Barbara considered for a moment, then sighed. "Apparently Bruce has a kid. With Talia al Ghul, no less. Raised by the League; violent, entitled little brat named Damian. He thinks Robin is his birthright, almost killed Tim the first time they met."

Stephanie winced. "And exactly _how_ many people have almost killed Tim while I've been gone?"

Barbara squinted. "Actually… I'm not even sure. Cass tried to kill him when she was being controlled. There was that thing with Ra's - though I think that might have actually been a weird recruitment attempt - and he's starting to acquire a bit of a rogues gallery…"

"Oh, lovely."

Babs nodded in agreement, and the two fell awkwardly quiet again.

As usual, Steph was the one to break the silence. "And what about you?"

"Pardon?"

"Dinah told me that things have been hard for you, too. Are you okay?"

Barbara blinked. "Um. Yes? Things have been tough, I guess. I'm surviving, though… that's what I do. I survive." Barbara couldn't help a tinge of bitterness creeping into her voice.

Her training was the only thing that kept Barbara from jumping when Stephanie put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," the girl said. "I'm sorry if I made things harder. I understand if you don't want me hanging around, after everything."

Barbara closed her eyes and sighed, feeling her lingering resentment begin to dissipate. "I'm sorry, too. It's been a bad couple years for all of us. I'd be lying if I said the gang war and your 'death' wasn't part of it, but it wouldn't be accurate or fair to blame you for everything. And it would be entirely unfair of me to tell you you're unwelcome here. Welcome back to Gotham, Stephanie."

Stephanie was too busy fighting back tears to come up with anything to say in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say before anything else: I *adore* Barbara. She's one of my favorite characters of all time.
> 
> That being said: Yes, Babs isn't the nicest in this chapter. Remember that she's *not* a trusting person (as she told Dinah, it's her job), and she feels like she's just had her trust breached on multiple levels, here: both with the staging of Steph's "death," and Dinah's decision not to tell her. 
> 
> Plus, given Barbara's eidetic memory, it's impossible for her to forget the past, which makes it hard for her to forgive. She tends to hold grudges, and Stephanie was related to the destruction of her home, the one place in the world where she felt safe. She understandably has some mixed feelings about Stephanie because of it. 
> 
> She's upset and angry - at Dinah and Steph and herself and at past events she can't change - and it shows.
> 
> (Sorry for the unsolicited meta. I just have a lot of Feelings about Barbara Gordon.)


	14. Chapter 14

"B, I need you to come over to the tower after patrol tonight."

"Can it wait, Oracle? There's a case that needs my attention…"

"No, Batman. It cannot wait."

Bruce paused a moment at Oracle's tone.

"…Acknowledged. I'll be there at the first opportunity."

"…Thanks, B. Oracle out."

~~~

Stephanie fidgeted. Barbara had said the Bruce would be over sometime during the night, but in the meantime, all she could do was sit and wait. Babs and Dinah had disappeared into the monitor room, firmly shutting the door, and Steph left them their privacy. She tried to take a nap on Barbara's couch- she could really use the extra sleep - but she found she was too wired. 

Eventually she gave up, and wandered until she found the gym. She set herself to beating the crap out of an old punching bag, and tried to imagine that she was punching each of her doubts and insecurities in the face. Despite the enthusiasm with with she engaged in the task, it didn't seem to be working particularly well.

She'd been at it for a good hour when she felt someone behind her. She turned to find Bruce, bat-mask and all, in the doorway.

"Stephanie." said Bruce, in his Patented Batman Monotone.

Steph raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem all that surprised to see me."

Bruce cleared his throat. "I… suspected. That your death had been faked. Certain details didn't quite fit together. Apparently my suspicions were correct."

Stephanie refrained from asking why he had never pursued those suspicions. She had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer.

"I have a number of questions, Stephanie."

"Yeah, I'll bet. But I have one for you, first."

It was a bit difficult to tell with the cowl, but Steph suspected that Bruce raised his eyebrows.

"I'm back. But am I welcome back? Because I'm not going to stop being Spoiler, B. I tried that, and I couldn't do it. If you refuse to let me work here, so be it. I'll go back to Star City, where I know I _am_ welcome. But. Well. Gotham's the city that created me; Gotham will always be _home_. I've made a lot of mistakes here, I won't deny it, but it's time for me to start correcting them, if you let me. And I hope you'll let me, because Gotham is _my_ city, too."

The challenge in Steph's voice surprised her a little. This wasn't how she'd planned this particular reunion at all. Good job, Steph- get back to Gotham, antagonize Batman within the first 6 hours. This had to be some sort of record.

B paused. When he spoke again, his voice was Bruce, not Batman. "Welcome home, Spoiler."

Steph swallowed down a lump in her throat. She coughed a little to try to hide it, and gave Bruce a watery smile. "...Right. So. Explanations. This might take awhile."

Steph's brain almost shut down when Bruce pulled off the cowl and sat on a nearby exercise bench. "I think I can make the time."

 ~~~ 

Dinah walked into the monitor room, and closed the door. "Okay, Barbara. We should talk."

Babs briefly glanced up from her screens. "Yes. I guess we should."

Barbara didn't say anything else, and returned to furiously typing the ridiculously complicated computer thingy she was working on. Dinah shifted a little in the silence.

"I take it you're angry. Is it at me? Or is it Steph's association with certain past events?"

Barbara sighed, and finally turned to face the other woman. She closed her eyes briefly, and made herself take a cleansing breath. "All of the above, I guess. I _really_ don't like having information hidden from me. Especially by my best friend."

Dinah breathed out slowly. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Goddamnit, Dinah, you couldn't trust me enough to tell me _a former sidekick had returned from the grave?"_

Dinah winced. "It had nothing to do with trust! It wasn't my secret to tell!"

Something dangerous flashed in Babs' eyes. "The _hell_ it wasn't."

Dinah stepped closer. "No, _listen_ to me, Barbara. Stephanie needed the separation from Gotham, needed the assurance that no one from her past was going to come looking for her. She didn't need the bullshit that any one of the batfamily would bring raining down on her head. And yes, that includes you. Don't tell me you wouldn't have let Bruce or Tim know about her. And don't tell me that Bruce wouldn't react by storming over to Star City."

Barbara crossed her arms, making a noncommittal noise. Dinah frustratedly pushed her hair out of her face.

"Godamnit, Barbara, the girl was scared and adrift and obviously suffering from some serious PTSD. The _last_ thing she needed was Bruce going all Dark Knight on her, _not when half her night terrors had her pleading with Batman instead of Black Mask._ " 

Dinah stopped, took a deep breath, and tried to lower her volume. "Listen. She's a sweet kid, and tenacious as hell. She's energetic and hopeful even _after_ all the shit life's put her through. She willingly came back to Gotham, even though I know it scares the fuck out of her. She deserves the second chance, Babs. And I want to make sure she gets a good shot at one."

Barbara closed her eyes, and released the breath she'd been holding. When she looked up at Dinah again, she quirked a half-smile. "I suppose neither of us can exactly begrudge someone a second chance."

Dinah smiled, and walked over to place a hand on Babs' shoulder. "Exactly. And for the record, I really hated lying to you."

Barbara placed her hand over Dinah's and squeezed. 

~~~

"…and that's basically how I ended up here. Um."

Bruce sat in unreadable silence, and Stephanie shifted nervously. She waited a beat, and when it became clear he wasn't going to speak, she cleared her throat.

"Uh. Bruce?"

Bruce raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly, which Steph decided to take as an invitation to continue.

"Would it be alright if I'm the one to explain this all to Tim? And Cass too, but especially Tim? This is gonna be a lot for him to process, and I owe it to him to be there in person…"

"That can be arranged."

Bruce stood up, and Steph could tell he was back in Batman mode, even though he hadn't put the cowl back on yet.

"Suit up, Spoiler."

Steph goggled. "You're taking me _with_ you?

Bruce gave Stephanie a Look. If her inner Bat-to-human translator was up to date, it meant something like "For God's sake, Stephanie, don't make me repeat myself."

Steph sprinted off to get her costume. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know it's not as awesome as Steph getting to slap Bruce like she did in Bruce Wayne: The Road Home. But Bruce *will* eventually get adequate chastisement, don't worry :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which there are Feelings   
> *cue ominous music*

Steph nervously adjusted her seatbelt. Even though she _knew_ that brooding silence was Batman's default state, a part of her always wanted to say _something_ to break the monotonous quiet in the Batmobile.

"Um. So. The upgrades on the car look cool."

Bruce didn't respond, and Steph internally cringed at how inane that'd sounded.

"Y'know, I think I got too used to hanging out with people who like to banter. My solo-quipping muscles may have atrophied."

Steph wasn't 100% sure, but she thought she saw the corner of Bruce's mouth twitch. She chalked that one as a personal victory.

~~~

They eventually pulled into the Batcave, and Stephanie took a deep breath.

She stepped out of the car, and looked around. The computers looked a little newer, but other than that, not much had changed. It took her a moment, but then she spied Tim, hunched over a computer terminal. He hadn't looked up at the arrival of the Batmobile- whatever he was doing, he was completely absorbed. She looked back, only to discover that Bats had pulled one of his notorious vanishing acts. Steph sighed. It figured, really, that Bruce would flee from the prospect of an emotional reunion.

_Right. Here we go._

Steph straightened her shoulders, and strode over to Tim's work station. She stood behind him, and loudly cleared her throat. 

Tim whirled around, annoyed at having his concentration broken, but his complaints died in his throat as soon as he saw who it was. He stood stock still, gaping at the girl before him. Steph shifted uneasily.

"Hey there, boy wonder."

"Steph." It came out strangled and shallow, like he'd just been punched in the gut. Tim _felt_ like he'd just been punched in the gut. Was he dreaming? Hallucinating from chronic sleep deprivation? 

"Yeah," Steph said softly.

Tim tentatively placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. She _felt_ real enough. Didn't necessarily mean anything, though, in a world with shapeshifters and occult forces and cloning technology…

Steph searched Tim's face, and evidently found his disbelief. She _had_ always been good at reading him. She smiled a little, and covered Tim's hand with her own. "It's me, Tim. It's really me. Oracle can show you the tests confirming it, if you want.  The first time we met, I hit you in the face with a brick. I once played piano for you in a music store. You took me to birthing classes dressed as Alvin Draper. It's _me_ , Timbo."

Tim slipped his hand off of Stephanie's shoulder and cupped her face, studying it for a moment. Then, he made a strangled noise, wrapping his arms around Steph and crushing her against him.

"You were dead," his voice cracked, and a voice somewhere in the back of his mind told him he should be embarrassed about that, but he ignored it. "I was at the funeral, I saw the _autopsy_ photos…" He buried his face against her shoulder. "…How," he croaked. "Just… how." 

"If you loosen your hold enough to let me breathe," Steph squeaked, "I can tell you."

Tim immediately let go of Steph, as if it suddenly hurt to touch her. Stephanie winced, then gestured towards a pile of training mats.

"Come sit, boy wonder. It's a long story."

~~~

Steph gazed at Tim, who was curled into himself and staring resolutely at the ground. This did not bode well.

"So you were alive the entire time," Tim said, dully.

"Um. Yeah. Well, apparently I was clinically dead for a couple minutes, and Dr. Leslie had to resuscitate me… but yeah, sorry, irrelevant. I was alive."

"And you let everyone think you were dead this entire time."

"Uh. Yes?"

Tim rubbed at his eyes. 

"And you couldn't. Just. Let me know?"

Steph winced. She'd been afraid of this.

"My God, Stephanie. Do you know how losing you _felt_?" Tim had stood up and started pacing. "I lost you, and I lost my dad, and then I lost Conner and Bart and… and… do you know what it's _like_ , feeling like everyone you love is cursed to die? How much I felt I _failed_ you, along with the rest of them? And you just flit away to Africa, without a thought to how much _pain_ it caused?"

Steph had been ready to apologize, but the words evaporated on her tongue with Tim's last sentence. 

 _Oh no. You did_ not _just go there, Timbo._

She stood, and stopped Tim with a hand on his arm. He flinched at the touch, which just made her angrier.

"Y'know, I was kinda busy, what with having been _tortured for days_ , heavily sedated, then doped up on so much morphine I couldn't tell you my own name," Stephanie snapped. "It's not like I had much input on what Dr. Leslie did with me- I was barely conscious when I got to her, and I'm _still_ not sure what was real at the clinic and what I hallucinated. I wasn't lucid for _weeks_ , and by that time, I was on another continent."

Tim opened his mouth to speak, but Steph shook her head. " _Nuh_ -uh. I'm not done yet, and I'm _not_ going to let you talk over me on this one. Do you think I didn't feel guilty about leaving? Well, you better have another think coming, Timbo, because _you_ were in my nightmares just as much as Black Mask and Orpheus's corpse and all the people who died because I fucked up. You and Cass and my mother- thethree people I knew would be hurt by my death. But the rest of Gotham? For a long time, I thought they'd  be better off with me dead. I'd done so much damage already, and I was wanted by so many people... don't deny that if I'd stayed, I'd have caused even more chaos. So I did what I thought was best, and stayed 'dead.' And used the time to heal, because God knows I wouldn't have been able to with you and Bruce and all the ghosts of Gotham breathing down my neck. I suppose what Leslie did was kidnapping, but I'm not sure she was wrong- Gotham needed me to be dead, and I needed to be far, far away. So yes, I'm sorry I hurt you. But don't you _dare_ act as if this was some stupid selfish stunt I pulled without thinking. You have _no goddamn right_." 

Tim deflated. "No," he murmured. "I suppose not." 

Steph's anger dissipated; she was always a sucker for Tim's kicked puppy face. She reached for Tim's hand, and to her relief, he let her take it. "C'mon, boy wonder," Steph said softly. "We have a lot to catch up on."

When Alfred checked on the cave an hour later, he found Steph and Tim curled up together against the pile of training mats, fast asleep. The old caretaker smiled and went to fetch them a blanket.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is a known fact that tea fixes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for a description of a panic attack. If want to skip that part, just skip the section that starts with "Steph resolutely gazed out the window of Dinah's car" and ends with "No problem, kiddo." Fellow fans with anxiety disorders, please take care of yourselves <3

Steph woke up on the floor of the Batcave, covered with a soft quilt. She moved to stand, and cursed at an enormous crick in her neck. She'd slept on worse before, but sleeping on the cave floor was _not_ the most comfortable, especially after she'd been spoiled by Ollie's miracle of mattress technology for months.

As she stretched, she spied Alfred picking his way down the stairs. _Well, I think I know where that blanket came from._ She waved, and was enthusiastically greeted in return. She grinned at him, running up to give him a firm hug. Alfred beamed at her. _At least this reunion is easy,_ Steph thought with relief.

Alfred firmly insisted on making her breakfast and driving her back to the tower. Steph didn't mind- she'd missed him, and it was clear from the brightness in his eyes that he was glad that she was back. She made sure to give him an extra hug before taking the elevator up to Babs' apartment.

She found Barbara and Dinah curled up in the monitor room, both asleep, Babs' head resting on Dinah's shoulder. Steph resisted the urge to snap a photo, and quietly shut the door. She needed to change and shower, anyway. And figure out what her plan was now that she was back in Gotham. Well, plans other than punching bad guys in the face. That one kind of went without saying.

…But shower first.

~~~

When Stephanie emerged, she found Babs and Dinah in the kitchen, Dinah flipping pancakes while Babs groggily brewed coffee. Steph resisted giggling at The Great Oracle's messy hair and disoriented expression, and made a mental note that Barbara was _not_ a morning person. For, y'know, future reference.

Dinah turned to smile at Steph. "Hiya, Kiddo. Your night with Bats turn out okay?"

Steph smiled and nodded.

Dinah grinned in response, then abruptly turned and cursed when she dripped batter on the stove and set off the fire alarm. Barbara came immediately alert, and typed a code into a panel on the wall before Steph could even move to help. The alarm subsided, and Dinah glared at the stove, muttering some choice invectives at the appliance.

Steph grinned. She might have no idea what she was doing with her life, but some things remained utterly normal.

~~~

Over breakfast, a now-caffeinated Barbara looked up at Stephanie. "I asked Cass to stop by; she'll be coming over sometime this evening. Other than that, is there anything you need to do today?"

Steph swallowed down a sudden lump in her throat. "Um. Probably?"

Barbara frowned. "Does your mom know you're back?"

Steph shook her head. "Nuh-uh. That reunion is gonna be hard." Barbara looked sympathetic. "It needs to happen, though," Steph mumbled.  "Soon."

Dinah bumped her shoulder against Steph's. "Babs already looked up her rounds for this week. She doesn't have a shift until this evening. If you want, I can take you to go see her after we've cleaned up breakfast."  

Steph sighed. "I guess now's a good a time as any. Thank you."

Dinah squeezed Steph's shoulder as she stood up to clear away dishes.

~~~

Steph resolutely gazed out the window of Dinah's car. Well, technically it was Babs' car, but she kept it around for the Birds to use when they were in Gotham and needed to run errands that required more than a motorbike. Steph was privately grateful. It was taking every ounce of her energy to keep herself from spiraling into a panic attack; it would have sucked if she also had to concentrate on hanging on to the back of Canary's motorcycle for dear life. 

Dinah shot a concerned glance at Stephanie. It wasn't normal for the girl to be so quiet. "You okay, kiddo?"

Steph let out her breath. "Yeah. Um. Scared, I guess. Not really looking forward to telling Mom that I faked my death and she's spent the past couple years grieving for nothing."

"Mm. Stephanie, if everything you've told me about your mother is true, she's going to be thrilled you're okay."

"Doesn't make me feel like any less of a shitty person, though," Steph muttered to herself.

They'd reached Stephanie's block, and Dinah pulled over. Dinah turned to look at the girl beside her, who had curled into herself and was taking shallow, ragged breaths. Dinah reached over to rub circles into her back, and felt Steph's muscles quiver with tension. "Shh," Dinah murmured. "Things are gonna be okay. You're safe; I'm gonna stay right here with you. Are you able to take some deep breaths with me?"

Stephanie slowly nodded.

"Okay. I want you to take a slow breath in through your nose, feeling your lungs expand and fill… now exhale slowly through your mouth, letting the bad thoughts float away with your spent breath… Good girl. Lets take another deep breath in… and out…"

Dinah continued, talking Steph through cleansing breaths until she felt the girl begin to relax.

"You alright?"

Steph let out one last deep breath, then nodded. "I… yeah. I'm good now. Thank you."

Dinah squeezed Steph's shoulder. "Trust me, I've been there. Would you like me to go inside with you?" 

"Um, maybe? If that'd be okay?"

Dinah shot Steph a reassuring smile. "No problem, kiddo." 

~~~

Dinah rang Crystal Brown's doorbell. After a moment, an exhausted-looking woman in sweatpants and slippers padded up to the door. She stared suspiciously at the woman on her doorstep.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Dinah smiled and stuck out her hand. "Hi! Pleasure to meet you. My name is Dinah Lance, and I have someone with me who would very much like to see you."

Dinah stepped aside, and gently pushed Stephanie towards the door.

Crystal's eyes widened, and she felt her breath leave her. She gripped the doorframe for support, knuckles white.

" _Is this supposed to be some kind of cruel joke?_ " she hissed.

Stephanie made a distressed noise and stepped forward. "No, mom. It's me. It's reallymeIpromise."

Dinah stepped back into view, concerned. "Ma'am, I can verify that this is Stephanie. I have the medical files with me, if you'd like to see them."

Crystal took a deep breath. "I… no. That won't be necessary." She cradled Steph's face in her hands, scrutinizing the girl's features. "God almighty, it really is you," she whispered. She let go of Stephanie's face, resting one of her hands on her daughter's shoulder. She gestured at Dinah with her other hand. "Come in. There's a lot to… discuss."

Crystal Brown managed to keep herself composed until she'd shut the door and ushered everyone into the living room. Then she pulled Stephanie into her arms, sobbing into her daughter's shoulder. 

Stephanie hugged back, starting to cry, too. "Shh, mom, I'm here," she whispered. "I'm okay. I'm back. I'm so, so sorry for leaving…"

Dinah quietly slipped away to allow mother and daughter some privacy. She located the kitchen, and spied a kettle on the stove. She poked around until she found a cabinet filled with boxes of tea. She smiled, and put up some water to boil. _Now lets see where the mugs are_ …

~~~

When Dinah returned to the living room with a teapot of hot water and a tray of tea options, Stephanie and her mother were considerably calmer. Crystal Brown directed a watery smile at Dinah when she placed the tray on the coffee table. "Thanks," she said hoarsely, and reached for the chamomile. Steph gave Dinah a grateful glance, and rummaged through the box of green teas.

Dinah quietly nursed her English Breakfast while the other women poured their tea. When they'd both taken their cups and settled into a couch, Dinah turned to Crystal. "So. This is probably the part where you'd like some explanations."

Crystal Brown nodded. "That would be nice, yes," she said archly. Dinah decided that Stephanie had definitely gotten her sarcastic side from her mother.

Dinah looked at Steph. "Will you tell the story, or would you like me to try?"

Stephanie took a sip of tea to clear her throat. "Thanks, but I can do it myself." 

Steph relayed everything that had happened since the gang wars, Dinah occasionally joining in to help elaborate.

"…so yeah, that's what happened. I'm sorry I put you through all that. I understand if you're angry at me."

Crystal Brown leaned over to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm just glad you're _here_ , and that you're okay." She pulled back to look at Stephanie sharply. "But don't you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, not without telling me. I don't know if my old heart could take it."

Stephanie pulled her mom into a bear hug. "I won't. I promise."

Crystal rested her chin on the top of Stephanie's head, softly smiling. It was several minutes before she pulled away, and Dinah busied herself with pouring another cup of tea.

"I do have another question, though," Crystal Brown eventually said. She gazed down to look her daughter in the eye. "Will you still be going out and doing all that crazy vigilante stuff?"

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably. "I… yeah. Yeah I will."

Crystal frowned. "Even after everything that's happened, you're _still_ going to risk your life like that?"

Stephanie looked stubbornly up at her mother. "Yes. _Especially_ after everything that's happened. I _need_ to help keep people safe, mom. More than ever."

Crystal furrowed her brows. "And you can't do that by, I don't know, volunteering at a clinic? Using that brain of yours to study to be a doctor or a counselor or an advocate?" 

Stephanie crossed her arms. "I can't give up being Spoiler, mom. I tried, but I just _can't._ It's a part of me."

Crystal surveyed her daughter for a moment, then sat back, tiredly rubbing her eyes. "Well. I suppose I can't stop you. But that doesn't mean I approve."

Dinah cleared her throat. "I've been training her, ma'am, and she's _much_ more skilled now than she used to be. And me and my… associates will keep training her. She won't be on her own, this time."

Crystal glanced sharply at Dinah, shrewdly taking in her muscled frame and the scars peppering her exposed arms. "And how does _your_ poor mother feel about you and your nighttime activities, young lady?" 

Dinah grinned wickedly. It had been a _long_ time since the last time someone had called her a "young lady." "Well, considering I inherited my superhero identity from her…"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "I just can't win, can I." 

Stephanie gave her another hug. "Nope!"

Crystal squeezed her close, relaxing a little. "So, are you coming back here, or are you staying with your new superhero buddies?"

Stephanie paused, surprised. Dinah could tell that she hadn't really thought about that issue. "Uh..."

Dinah jumped in. "We'll talk to some associates, and figure out what her options are. But at the very least, we'll make sure we get her back to visit you as often as possible."

"There's some things I need to wrap up," Stephanie added, "So if I move back in, it probably won't be for another day or so."

Crystal Brown nodded, kissing Stephanie's forehead. "Just keep me updated. I expect calls. Every day."

"Can do!" Stephanie replied, and helped her mom gather the tea things to bring back to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some unknown reason, I aggressively headcanon Barbara as a coffee person and Dinah as a tea person. I have way too many feelings about warm beverages.
> 
> This was probably the hardest chapter for me to write so far. I can understand why the writers of the comics decided to cut away from Stephanie's reunion with her mother- it's a hella difficult scene to do well. I just hope I didn't futz it up completely


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do *not* mess with people that Dinah cares about. Ever.

When posed with the question of Steph's long-term housing plans, Babs had an immediate solution.

"Wayne Enterprises owns an apartment complex just a few blocks over. We should be able to nab you a studio apartment there, no problem. That is, if you wouldn't prefer to stay with your mother."

Stephanie hummed thoughtfully. "I'd kinda assumed that my only options were moving back in with mom, or if she wouldn't have me, getting a cheap-ass apartment somewhere super sketchy… But if I have the option, I think I'd like to have my own apartment, especially if it's in Gotham city proper. After everything, it'd feel weird just moving back in with my mom, y'know? And things would be a lot more convenient if I wasn't all the way out in the 'burbs."

Babs nodded. "Let me talk to Lucius. You can stay here until we work out the details- it'd be pointless to lug all your stuff to your mom's, only to bring it back a few days later."

Steph paused a beat. "I… Thank you. Thanks a lot" 

Babs tentatively smiled up at the girl. "No problem." Barbara paused to take a deep breath and continued, "And then there's the matter of training…"

"Hm?"

"Now, I know I'm not always the nicest person in the universe, but there's _no way_ I'm sending you to Bruce for training, not with his history with you. I'm not _that_ mean." Stephanie snorted, and Babs smiled. 

"Trust me, I've had _experience_ with him. But you still need _someone_ to mentor you- I've been watching Dinah's training footage, and while you've improved immensely, you're still not as skilled as you could be. I would agree with Dinah's assessment- you're an extremely promising young woman, Stephanie, but with a lot to learn. Dinah's been an excellent teacher, but she needs to go back to Star City at some point, and it seems you'd prefer to stay in Gotham… 

"So. If you're willing, I'd like to take over training you. Dinah will help out when she's around, and I suspect that Helena might chip in, too- she's a natural teacher. But I'd be in charge of most of it. You game?"

Stephanie gaped. "You want to... train me?"

Barbara grinned. "I'm warning you, I'm a tough teacher." She was startled when Steph leaned down to give her a hug. 

"Thank you," Stephanie squeaked. "Thank you so much for everything. I didn't even think you _liked_ me, and now you're doing all these nice things..."

Barbara sighed. "It did take me some time to warm up to you, I'll admit it. But you're… tenacious. I can appreciate that in a person." 

"…so what you're saying is that you like me because I'm as stubborn as you are."

Barbara laughed. "Well if you put it _that_ way…"

Stephanie grinned, and Barbara stretched. "If I'm going to train you, I need to write up some new simulation programs. In the meantime, there's the gym down the hall. Go familiarize yourself with it."

"Yes ma'am!" Stephanie gave Barbara a mock salute, and marched off down the hallway. Barbara smiled. 

~~~

Bruce stepped onto his floor at Wayne Enterprises to find a very stern blonde woman leaning by his office door.  He glanced at his secretary, who shot him an apologetic look.

"Hi, _Brucie_ , we're going to have a talk."

Bruce raised a disgruntled eyebrow at Dinah, who glared back at him.

Dinah smiled humorlessly. "We're going to talk, Bruce. We can have this talk in private, or we can have it out here in the lobby. Your choice."

Bruce stood silently a moment longer, then cleared his throat.

"I suppose we should step into the office, then."

Bruce opened the door for Dinah, and shut it behind them. As soon as it closed, he turned to glare at Dinah. She didn't so much as flinch.

"What are you _doing_?" he growled. "You could have seriously compromised my identity."

Dinah only laughed. "Please, Bruce. You don't think I was careless enough to let myself be _seen_ on the way up here, do you? Oracle patched the handful of security cameras I couldn't avoid. And your secretary thinks that I'm yet another of your jilted lovers. It really didn't take much convincing." 

Bruce glowered. If he intended to unsettle Dinah, he failed; Dinah simply glared back at him. Eventually, Bruce sighed, and tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What's this about, Dinah?"

"Stephanie," Dinah replied, bluntly. Bruce raised an eyebrow, and Dinah crossed her arms.

"I swear to God, Bruce, if you hurt that girl again… this time, this is _definitely_ a threat." Bruce almost flinched at the iciness of Dinah's tone. "I have seen you hurt my closest friends, badly. I still haven't forgiven you for that. And _this_ time. This time you took a sweet, determined, optimistic girl and drove her to the point where she almost _died_ for you. _I will not let that happen again._ "

Bruce cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Dinah, what happened was… unfortunate, but she was reckless, and I couldn't have her out in the field. I didn't want her to get hurt--"

"Horse shit," Dinah snapped. "You did that thing where you start to care about someone, and react by hurting them until it drives them away. I've seen you do it again and again. It's a bullshit coping mechanism, but most of your 'family' are used to it by now. But here's the thing. Barbara, Dick, _you_? You've all had families that loved and cared for you, at least when you were young. But Stephanie? And hell, this applies to _Jason_ , too- they _didn't._ I've heard Steph exchanging war stories with Mia, Bruce, and with all your snooping, you probably know even more than I do. You may have been the first positive adult role model she had in her _life_. She was starved for affection, for _support_ , and not only did you actively drive her away, but you did _every possible thing_ to make her feel unworthy and unwanted, no matter how hard she tried to do better."

Bruce actually looked flummoxed. "I--"

Dinah held up her hand. "Nuh-uh. I'm not done. Before she disappeared, I saw so much brightness and potential in Stephanie. Brightness that _you_ relentlessly tried, and hell, _almost succeeded_ , in stamping out. But you failed, Bruce. In the time she's been training with me, I've only seen that brightness and potential grow. She's one hell of a fighter, tough and determined to her core. Compassionate and hopeful, in a way that's far too rare among people like us. She may not be a master fighter or a brilliant detective, not yet, but I have complete faith that she won't stop pushing herself until she _is_. She would have been an _asset_ to you, Bruce, if you had actually cared to _train_ herinstead of _trying to break her._ "

Dinah spat out the last words as if they were venomous. Bruce took an almost imperceptible step backwards.

"So this time, actually _teach_ her. Support her. Or at the very least, stay out of the fucking way while she gets that support elsewhere. I, for one, want to continue mentoring her. Barbara does, too, and I'd bet money that Cassandra will want to help. I am not going to force you to work with her. But it would probably mean the world to Stephanie if you helped with her training. It might even start to make up for the hell you put her through." 

Dinah finished, and continued to glare at Bruce, waiting for him to respond. Bruce cleared his throat again.

"I. Um. I'll consider what you said, Ms. Lance."

Dinah supposed that was the most she'd ever get out of the emotionally constipated asshole, and nodded, sharply. As she turned to leave, she told him, "This is your second chance, Bruce. _Don't fuck it up_."

For once, Bruce couldn't couldn't think of something to say in time to get in the last word.

As Dinah made her strategic exit from the WE building, she heard Babs whistle in her ear. "Damn, Dinah, I don't think I've ever been more scared of you in my life."

Dinah smiled predatorily. "Mission accomplished."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're confused by what Dinah means when she tells Bruce "this time, this is definitely a threat," she's referencing an exchange that took place at the very beginning of Birds of Prey v1 #79. (Which I highly recommend you track down. It's one of my favorite Dinah scenes of all time.)


	18. Chapter 18

Cass slipped into Oracle's monitor room, intentionally making noise so she wouldn't startle Barbara. Barbara had long resigned herself to being sneaked up upon by various Bats, but she wasn't fond of surprises, and Cass had decided long ago that Barbara had it hard enough without Cass's entrances making her jumpy.  

"You said I should come over?" Cass asked.

"There's someone who'd like to see you," Barbara replied. "They're waiting for you in the gym."

Cass turned and strode through the corridor. Who would want to see her? She'd seen Tim and Bruce just recently on patrol, and as far as she knew, Dinah was in Star City. Barbara would never willingly let Cain or Shiva in the apartment. Maybe it was Dick, visiting from New York? But then why wasn't he with Barbara, orbiting around her the way he always did when they were together? 

Cass reached the doorway to the gym, and stopped abruptly. It felt like the bottom had just fallen out of her stomach. No. This had to be a ghost, another vision, a dream, something.

Stephanie Brown smiled nervously, and directed a small wave in Cass's direction. "Hi Cass! Um, I'm back?"

Cass remained by the door for a moment, trying to process what she was seeing. Then she darted to Stephanie, tracing the lines of her face, her shoulders, checking to make sure it was really her, that she was really _there_. "But you were…" Cass whispered. 

Steph stood motionless for a moment, startled by Cass's sudden inspection. Then she smiled, and wrapped her arms around Cass, squeezing her. Any doubt of the other girl's identity fled. That was definitely a Stephanie hug; there was nothing else quite like it.Cassandra let herself smile too, returning the hug.

"I was dead, yeah," Stephanie murmured. "But only for a moment." Steph recounted Leslie's decision, her time spent in Africa and then in Star City.

Cass let the story wash over her; she didn't let go of Stephanie the entire time.

~~~

Stephanie finished the arduous tale of her demise and return, and smiled at the girl whose arms were wrapped tightly around her. Somehow, she hadn't felt really _back_ until now. Absentmindedly, she toyed with Cassandra's hair. 

"Missed you," Cass told her, squeezing her tight. 

Steph swallowed down a lump in her throat. "Yeah. I missed you too."

Before Steph could think of anything else to say, Cass darted up, pressing a quick kiss against Stephanie's lips, so light that Steph almost thought she imagined it. Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise, and Cassandra pulled back and tilted her head. "Okay?" she tentatively asked.

Steph drew a ragged breath, then pulled Cass close, cradling her face in her palms. This hadn't crossed Steph's mind before, not exactly, (she hadn't even known Cass liked _girls_ ) _,_ but this felt good _._ This felt right. 

"Yes," Steph whispered, drawing her face close. "It's very okay."

The second kiss lasted much, much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I TOLD YOU THERE'D BE STEPHCASS EVENTUALLY  
> (sorry it took so long)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of updates lately! My academic term is starting to get busy, so I have less time to work on fic things. I'll still be updating when I can, though.
> 
> In the meantime, here, have some unrepentant fluff.

Training with Barbara wasn't _harder_ than training with Dinah, per se, it was just… different. 

It took a little while to adjust to the idea of holographic simulations and training robots rather than straight-up human-to-human sparring. Not that Barbara shied away from the occasional match- Steph quickly and painfully learned that while Babs could no longer use her legs, the woman could, figuratively speaking, still kick some serious ass. Under her tutelage, Steph began to appreciate just why Nightwing was so very fond of escrima. She began to use escrima almost as often as the bo-staff with which Batman had briefly trained her and Connor had helped her finally master. 

More than anything, though, Barbara drilled her in detective work, a subject that Dinah had tended to neglect. Sometimes after training, Steph felt like her brain hurt more than her sore muscles.  

"C'mon, Stephanie. You can't solve every problem by jumping in with fists flying."

Babs turned to smile teasingly at Cass, who was sprawled out in the corner, glaring at an ESL book. "…Despite what certain Batgirls might tell you."

Cass looked up with an expression of false innocence. "Not _all_ problems. This," she waved around the book she was holding, "is for not-punching problems." She grinned wickedly back at Babs. "Punching easier, though." 

Barbara rolled her eyes, and Stephanie laughed. "That's easy for you to say," Stephanie muttered. Cass had taken it upon herself to supplement Steph's training with some of her own lessons on the finer arts of punching things. Though their sparring matches no longer ended with Steph throwing up on Cass's feet, Steph still left each session feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. A very precise, very aggressive truck.

In return, Steph had been helping Cass with her ESL homework. She tried to answer Cassandra's questions, and acted out words when Cass had trouble with verbal definitions. Cass seemed to learn a lot better when someone was there to explain things with gestures. And Steph, it turned out, had a gift for teaching.

Their system worked well- they'd work on Cass's reading until Cass was fed up, then they'd work out their frustration on the training mats until Steph was exhausted.

Barbara was quietly proud of how much both of them had learned. Plus, she privately cooed at the cuddles the girls shared when they thought no one else was watching. Dick, presented with the handful of photos Babs had managed to capture, informed her that the pair was, in fact, "OMG TOO CUTE!!1!"

Babs was about 80% sure Cass knew _exactly_ when she was taking photographs, and just didn't care enough to say anything. It took her longer to figure out that Steph knew, too, and the girls had made a bet on who could make the most ridiculous face for the camera before Barbara caught on.

(Steph won. But only barely.)

~~~ 

Steph stood by a gargoyle, watching the city lights beneath her. From far above, Gotham looked beautiful. Peaceful, almost. She took a deep breath of the night air, and let the illusion unravel with the smell of the city and the sound of not-so-distant sirens. It was undeniably Gotham _._

_No place like home, I guess._

Steph felt something curl inside her stomach. Was she really ready for this? She'd confidently flown over the streets of Star City, but Star City was far away…

Her train of thought was interrupted by the soft thump of someone landing beside her. Steph knew that the only reason she'd heard her companion land was because she'd purposely made noise.

"Hey, Batgirl."

Cass leaned forward to rest her chin on Stephanie's shoulder. "Something wrong. What's wrong?"

Stephanie sighed. "I'm just nervous, I guess. It's been awhile."

Cass wrapped her arms around her, and Steph shifted to lean back against the other girl. But a moment later, Cass slipped away, spinning around to boop Stephanie on the nose.

"Tag!" announced Cass, leaping away with a shit-eating grin. "You're it!"

Steph laughed. "Oh, I'm gonna get you for that!" she shouted, running after her.

"Not if you can't catch me!" Cass taunted.

Steph gleefully swung through the air, smiling at how the wind caught her cape.

_No place like home._

~~~

Steph's apartment wasn't big, but it was in decent repair, and it was _hers_. She didn't have much by way of _stuff_ \- she'd gotten in the habit of owning no more than she could fit in a suitcase or two - but she tried to make the place feel like her own. At the first opportunity, Steph painted one of the walls purple. She started looking for interesting posters and pillows at thrift shops; her favorite find was a giant _Gotham: Home of the Batgirl!_ poster, that featured a very inaccurate (and somewhat anatomically improbable) rendition of a busty redhead in a bat-suit, swinging across the Gotham skyline. That one got a place of honor, on the wall above her futon. 

It was a little strange at first, but Steph appreciated having a place for herself. At the very least, it was a relief not to worry about waking anyone up with late-night entrances and exits.

Sometimes, after an exhausting night of kicking ass and taking names, Cass would stumble inside with her, and they'd collapse on Steph's futon together. 

Other times, they'd slink into the Batcave, and Steph would wake up snuggled next to Cass in her nest of pillows, late-morning sunlight streaming through the window. Alfred began stocking Steph's favorite brand of tea, and the denizens of the manor noticed a marked increase in the frequency of breakfast waffles. 

Bruce never said anything, but those mornings, Steph would sometimes find new, mysterious upgrades to her gear. She never said anything, either, but she always smiled at Bruce when she saw him tinkering with some gadget or another.

Sometimes, she could almost swear she saw Bruce smile back.


End file.
